ANTH228 - CHINESE CLTURE & SOCIETY: Chinese Culture and Society

This course investigates diverse aspects of Chinese culture and society in the past and the present. Our discussion will begin by critically examining the alleged common characteristics of traditional Chinese culture and society, such as patrilineal kinship and Confusian ethics. About Maoist era, we will discuss the impacts of the radical socialist movements, such as Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution, on local communties, families, and individuals. Later we will analyze the increasingly complex cultural and social landscapes of the Post-Mao China: How did the one-child policy contribute to the rediscovery of childhood and the emerging consumer culture in China? Have the new job opportunities created by the socialist market economy improvedwomen's status? What are the effects of the multinational corporations on the local communities? How can we explain the relation between the creation of social stigma and infectious diseases such as AIDS?